More than two thousand Jordanians demonstrated this evening, Wednesday, near the Israeli embassy in Amman to express their anger over the killing of Ismail Haniya, head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas," in Tehran. The demonstrators raised Palestinian flags and pictures of Haniya, which were labeled "the martyr leader," while chanting "Oh Ismail Haniya, you are a symbol of freedom," and "Oh Haniya, you are full of dignity," along with slogans like "Haniya, rest easy; Gaza continues the struggle," "May your soul rest, oh martyr," "All Hamas leaders are martyrdom projects," "We will surely seek revenge," and "We die, and Palestine lives."
The protesters, who gathered near the Kalouti Mosque in the Rabieh area, about one kilometer from the Israeli embassy, were met with heavy security measures and chanted, "If the whole world submits, we will not recognize Israel," "Cut off relations," and "The people want to abolish the Wadi Araba Treaty," referring to the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty signed in 1994.
Security forces, which had deployed heavily in the area, blocked all roads leading to the Israeli embassy. The Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemned the assassination of Haniya on Wednesday, considering it a "provocative crime" that would escalate tension and chaos in the Middle East.
Haniya was assassinated in Tehran during an airstrike that "Hamas" and Iran blamed on Israel, vowing to avenge his death, raising concerns about the potential expansion of conflict in the region amid the war in Gaza. Israel did not immediately comment on the assassination of Haniya, 61, who was elected head of Hamas's political bureau in 2017.
In early November, Amman summoned its ambassador to Israel and informed Tel Aviv that it would not return its ambassador, who had previously left the kingdom. Jordan is calling on the international community to pressure Israel to achieve an immediate and permanent ceasefire and to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
